(ALL-STAR GAME)—The All-Stars play tonight. But last night was reserved for the homer boys and the fourth guy from the left won it all.
(L-R: Ben Rice, Yankees; Wilson Contreras, Cardinals; Joe Caglianone, Royals; Jordan Walker, Cardinals; Murakami, White Sox; Caminero, Rays; Harper and Schwarber, Phillies.
Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker could be in line for some major endorsement money from the chewing gum company whose product he was enthusiastically working over last night when he beat one of the biggest home runs guys in baseball to become the first Redbird and the second youngest competitor to win the All Star Game’s Home Run Derby.
Walker, watching his winning home run fly into the stands in Philadelphia, beat hometown star Kyle Schwarber 12-11 on his last swing to take home the trophy. He had matched former Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras’ 13 home runs in the first round and won his second-round matchup 6-5 against Junior Campanero of the White Sox, setting up the final slugfest. He cleared the fence with his last six swings to take the trophy—-and the $1 million prize, some $300,000 more than he is to earn from the Cardinals this year.
It would not be a surprise if some of that money was a tip for the guy who threw all of those fat pitches last night: Cardinals bullpen catcher Kleininger Teran. Teran was no stranger to the job. He pitched to Albert Pujols, the last St. Louis participant in the event, in 2022. He also has thrown a lot of batting practice to Walker in his still young career.
Walker faces real pitching tonight in the All Star game.
Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone had eight home runs in the first round, not enough to advance, but he put on an impressive power show. He was the only competitor to hit the ball into the stadium’s upper deck with one of his shots measured at 477 feet. His father was his pitcher.
(BABY BIRDS)—The St. Louis Cardinals have chosen two dozen futures in the MLB draft. They had the most picks—seven—in the first four rounds. None of these players is obligated to sign a contract and none is forever linked to the team. Some might want to wait another two or three years to finish their college education and improve their skills in hope of moving up in a future draft.
The first choice was Georgia high school outfielder Trevor Condon, the first high schooler taken as the number one pick by St. Louis since another Georgia player who has turned out pretty well—Jordan Walker. Condon finished his last high school season hitting .504 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He has committed to playing college ball at Tennessee.
The second choice played for Tennessee this past season, Tegan Kuhns, a 6-3 righthander with a big curve and a 98 mph fastball.
The Redbirds’ third choice was Rocco Maniscalo, an Alabama high school shortstop who is only two months into his 17th year. Scouting Director Randy Flores says he has “current” tools which puts him ahead of players drafted for their hope and projectionables.
Outfielder Andrew Williamson, was next. He played for Central Forida next year.
Other picks;
Kansas State shortstop Dee Kennedy, who hatted .357 with 10 homers in 114 college games.
Right-handed pitcher Dawson Montesa, who plans to skip his last year at West Virginia University to join the Cardinals system.
Left hander Luke Harrison from the University of Texas.
First Baseman Jack Gurevitch from San Diego State.
Southpaw Cade Crossland from Oklahoma; Righty Ethan Young from East Carolina; Hawaii outfielder Matthew Miura; Pitcher Payton Graham, a righty, from Gonzaga; Penn State shortstop ryan Weingartner; Third Baseman Michael Dattalo, who played for Dallas Baptist last season; Stetson University Ty Van Dyke, a right-handed pitcher; Texas shortstop Jalin flores; Northern Kentucky right-handed pitcher Kaden Echeman; Righty Jake Shelagowski from Saginaw Valley State. Later choices are Iowa RHP Anthony Watts; Stanford SS Trevor Haskins, Kansas City right-handed pitcher Alex Breckheimer, Austin Peay outfielder Cameron Nickens, right-handed pitchers Dylan Driessen from South Dakota State and Liam Best from Appalachian State and the final choice (number 624), Central Missouri catcher Chase Heath
(FUTURE ROYALTY)—Thirteen of the Kansas City Royals 16 picks are pitchers but their first choice was a surprise:
Louisville outfielder Zion Rose who is described as having “elite contact skills, speed, and power.” He finished the recent hitting .417, two dozen stolen bases, six homers and 47 ribbies. Rose had been listed 30th in MLB’s pipeline.
The second choice was the 40th-ranked prosect, Ole Miss right handed pitcher Taylor Rabe, who has a fastball of 96-100 mph and strong control.
Third was 17-year old Jack Slightom, who has committed to playing for Cincinnati University, followed by West Virginia lefty Maxx Yehl who is said to have an “MLB-ready arm.” Their last pick in the first round was Oswego East High School (Illinois) left-handed hitting outfielder Dominic Battista. He missed part of his last high school season with a broken bone in his wrist but batted .242. Scouts say he’s just coming into his own at the plate but “has defensive instincts and speed.” He’s expected to forego his freshman year at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Kansas City started the second day with Arkansas lefty reliever Ethan McElvain, who went 6-0 this season with a 1.88 ERA and made the SEC second all conference team followed by Clemson left-handed pitcher Jack LeGuernie, who was on the national Pitcher of the Year watch list. 4.69 ERA in 19 appearances.
Others chosen by the Royals are Georgia right-hander Dylan Vigue, a junior starter for the Georgia team tied for third in the College World Series. He was 4-1 in eighteen appearances including 16 starts—63 IP, 77K, 36BB, 4.43 ERA.
Florida Gulf Coast lefty Hunter Possehl went in the 8th round with Oklahoma third baseman Camden Johnson (.293, 9 HR, 48 RBI) picked up in the 9th round.
LSU right-hander Grant Fontenot went in the tenth round. Last year he was in 21 games (4 starts) got 42Ks in 32.1 innings. He was followed St. Mary’s outfielder Tanner Griffith who his .342 in his last season, had a .477 OBP, was an All-WCC second teamer. He plans to play his last collegiate year for TCU, though.
Others; College of Central Florida right handed pitcher Lance Hartley; Nicholls State righty dalton Hill; catcher Banks Wickersham of Fort Dorchester High School in South Carolina, a commit to the College of Charleston. In his senior year of high school he hit .459; Virginia Tech left hander Madden Clement from Virginia Tech; and Troy University Righty Dylan Alonso.
They finished up with right-handed pitcher Richie Roman of Houston; New Mexico southpaw Cooper Cockrean, who has announced he’s going to the University of Kentucky next year; Pitcher Hudson, a righty from Mooresville High School in Indiana, a commit to the University of Alabama, and—finally—Riley McDonald from the State College of Florida, a reliever.
(MIZZOUHOF)—Six former Tiger Athletes are the newest members of the MU Sports Hall of Fame—
Football players Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs and Drew Lock of the Seattle Seahawks, along with player and later coach Andy Hill as well as softball player Ashley Fleming, wrestler Daniel Lewis and Nicki Weber Moore, who ran cross country and other track and field events. They’ll be honored during a ceremony October 9.
Now: Fast Times in Atlanta
(NASCAR)—A late, soggy nail-biter at Atlanta ended with Ryan Blaney dominating the race but needing every inch of his car’s nose to win the race that ended just before 2 a.m., Atlanta time. Rain and lightning had stopped the race for three hours just before the halfway mark.
Blaney—who was racing to lead his 171st lap in the 263-lap race—Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Carson Hocevar came out of the last turn in a dogfight for the finish line and Blaney crossed the line just ahead of Wallace.
Wallace, however, saw his second place finish taken away by NASCAR, which penalized him for dropping below the yellow line marking the inside of the track on the last lap, and moved Wallace to 29th place as the official last car on the lead lap. Wallace objected, noting he had been pushed below the line by teammate Bell and did not gain a position because of it. But as of press time, the penalty stood. Bell is officially second by less than seven-hundredths of a second.
Six races remain before the ten-race playoffs begin with the top 16 drivers in the points competing for the NASCAR Cup. Wallace’s penalty, instead of solidifying his position well within the runoff field, puts him 13th in the points standings, 55 points ahead of three-time Cup champion Joey Logano, who is the first out at this point.
(INDYCAR)—The Silly Season has arrived for IndyCar in a big way with the Arrow McLaren team announcing that two of its drivers this year will be replaced by a couple of bigger names next year. Gone are Christian Lundgaard, a two-race winner this year who is third in the points, and Nolan Siegel who is in his second year with the team. Siegel has yet to develop, never finishing higher than 23rd in the standings in his first two seasons. He is 21st in this, his third year, in IndyCar.
O’Ward won the most recent race with Lundgaard second.
Replacing them are two bigger names—this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner, Felix Rosenqvist, moving over from Meyer Shank Racing, and one of the sport’s most prominent figures—Scott Dixon.
Dixon is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing after 24 years of full-time racing, six series championships (second to A. J. Foyt’s seven), 59 wins (only Foyt has more, with 67) and the 2008 Indianapolis 500. It appears, however, that his longtime sponsor, PNC Bank, will stay with Ganassi. Team owner Chip Ganassi says he oftered Dixon a multi-year offer that would have let him finish his career with his team, but Dixon chose to go a different direction.
Dixon and Rosenqvist will be teamed with Pato O’Ward, one of the most popular drivers in the series.
(photo credits: Walker—Instagram; Condon—Condon family; Rose—USA Network; Home Run Derby—MLB; Blaney—NASCAR; Dixon—Rick Gevers at Indianapolis)